Intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet are two hot topics in the nutrition world today.
But what about combining these two excellent mind and weight management lifestyle, diets?
Can you do intermittent fasting with keto?
The answer is a resounding yes!
Intermittent fasting can be used during a keto diet, though you may want to adjust your macronutrient levels and caloric intake to ensure your body still gets enough fuel.
You should also strive for healthy foods while following the diet.
Just because the ‘keto’ label is added doesn’t mean indulging in high-fat junk food is okay.
It’s always wise to check with your doctor before starting an intermittent fasting program, but in general, doing some form of intermittent fasting while on a keto plan can help you get the best results.
Intermittent fasting involves splitting the day into two distinct parts: a specific period of fasting, followed by eating as per one’s dietary routine.
The most common forms of intermittent fasting include 16:8, which involves fasting for sixteen hours and eating within the remaining eight.
The 5:2 is where you usually eat five days a week and reduce calorie intake on the other two to about 500 to 600.
While it allows people to still have normal meals during non-fasting periods, it also encourages healthier choices as people tend to choose nutrient-rich meals with fewer calories during their fasts.
The practice can help reduce inflammation risk of chronic diseases, improve heart health and even boost mental performance in the long run.
The keto diet is a popular way of eating that can be used for weight loss and metabolic health.
It encourages the consumption of high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate foods in order to enter a state of ketosis.
In this state, the body starts to produce molecules called ketones which act as an alternative energy source.
Supporters of the ketogenic diet often report increased energy levels, mental clarity and focus, and improved body composition.
The diet can also benefit people with certain medical conditions such as epilepsy, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and metabolic disorders.
Combining intermittent fasting and the keto diet offers many impressive benefits, such as improved digestion, stabilized blood sugar levels, better mental focus, and accelerated weight loss.
Intermittent fasting can help to reduce body fat by allowing the body to heal naturally with commitment and dedication.
The ketogenic diet helps to reduce your hunger levels and balances your hormones, allowing you to make healthier dietary choices.
Furthermore, combining these two lifestyle changes can dramatically improve your health overall.
Studies have shown that people who practice intermittent fasting and follow a ketogenic diet have better control over their cravings, increased energy levels throughout the day, increased mood stability, improved cholesterol numbers, and improved liver function.
For best results, it is important to consult a nutritionist or health practitioner before starting any new eating pattern or lifestyle change.
How Many Hours Should You Intermittent Fast On Keto?
If you chose to combine these two fasts, it is crucial to choose the correct timings.
Most people prefer to use the 16-hour fast, which is also called 16:8.
During this diet, you fast for 16 hours and have an 8-hour eating window.
This is easy for many people as not eating for 12 hours is a natural habit, so it doesn’t require skipping meals.
An example of this is fasting from 6 pm to 10 am.
Eventually, when your body has adjusted to this fasting period, you can extend it and limit the eating window based on your preferences.
You can even fast for 18 to 24 hours.
Although no intermittent fasting time works for everyone, you should see which times work best for you personally.
Some examples of popular timings for intermittent fasting on a keto schedule are:
16/8 – This is when you fast for 16 hours and have an 8-hour eating window.
This is the most popular method used, especially for beginners.
You’ll have to condense your entire calorie intake within the 8-hour eating window.
As your body adjusts, most keto dieters will start to extend their fasting time and limit the eating window timings.
Eat, stop eat – In this diet method, you eat normally for 5 days and fast for 24 hours for one to two days a week.
-
5:2 – You eat normally for 5 days and then restrict calories to 500 to 600 for two non-consecutive days.
-
4:3 – You fast every other day and normally eat on non-fasting days.
One meal a day – You fast for 24 hours and then eat a balanced diet meal during a 1-hour window.
You eat only 1 meal a day, fast for the remaining time, and eat another meal the next.
Skip meals spontaneously – Skipping meals will induce extra time in your fasted state.
People mostly tend to skip dinner but sometimes others prefer to skip lunch or dinner.
Keto coffee fasts – This is an excellent method of intermittent fasting for keto beginners.
You simply drink bulletproof or keto-proof coffee in place of your breakfast.
This will help you extend your fasting window until dinner.
Since this beverage contains fat calories, it’s not considered a true fast, but you will still be fasting from carbs and proteins, which provide most of the same benefits of intermittent fasting.
To get started, you can try delaying breakfast.
You can start by delaying it an hour and slowly extending the time to more.
Once your body is accustomed to this change of diet and gets used to not eating in longer stretches, you can introduce your breakfast into your diet earlier in the day and extend your overnight fasting time.
Having breakfast is extremely important as it improves cognition, metabolism, and insulin sensitivity.
If you’re struggling with skipping breakfast, you can try keto coffee to see if it works out for you.
This will help boost your ketone levels and significantly reduce your appetite naturally.
If you feel like you’re struggling with skipping breakfast, give keto coffee a try as this drink will help boost your ketone levels and reduce your hunger and appetite naturally.
There is no specific intermittent-keto diet that will suit everyone.
You should listen to your body and do what you feel best.
Can You Do Keto On A 16 8 Intermittent Fasting?
Yes, you can do keto on a 16/8 intermittent fasting eating plan. In fact, 16/8 is one of the most popular ways to begin intermittent fasting for beginners.
To combine both, you need to fast for 16 hours and in your 8-hour eating window, eat a low-carb meal that is rich in healthy fats.
Sometimes, only doing the 16/8 fasting isn’t enough to get you into ketosis.
That’s because if you even eat a small number of carbs, you’ll be taken out of ketosis every single time.
This can cause a side effect like keto flu and you may become overly hungry whenever you start to fast again.
When you add a keto diet into your intermittent fasting plan, then your body can become keto-adapted, this is when it’s running on fat, and its main dependency isn’t glucose.
Another major benefit of adding keto to your intermittent fast is that a keto diet offers a high satiety level.
So the keto diet lessens your hunger but the high levels of healthy fat in your keto diet also help you stay fuller for a longer time.
This eliminates hunger pangs and cravings you may experience throughout the day.
How Much Weight Can I Lose In A Week With Keto And Intermittent Fasting?
It depends on many factors, including age, current health condition, weight, dietary habits before changing to keto, and lifestyle.
Generally speaking, individuals will typically lose 2 to 6 lbs in the first week.
Don’t rush it! Rapid weight loss can be detrimental to health.
Will A 16 Hour Fast Put Me In Ketosis?
It is unlikely that your body will go into a ketosis state just after a 16-hour fast.
This is because our bodies resist snapping into and out of ketosis.
It could take 1 to 3 days to get into ketosis despite how much you’re eating or the food restrictions you have put on yourself.
If your body is used to fasting then you may go into ketosis after just 12 hours of not eating.
There are still many factors to consider like what was your diet during your eating window.
If your diet is keto friendly during your eating window then you may get into ketosis quicker, if your diet was carb heavy then it may take a longer time.
This is because your body will need to process all the carbohydrates and your insulin levels must drop before you can enter the ketosis stage.
Some signs that you’ve entered ketosis are:
- Bad breath
- Decrease in appetite
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Increased ketone in the blood
- Digestive issues
- Insomnia or other sleep disorders
How Does Fasting Work With Keto?
Fasting is a popular practice for dieters all around the globe, and when it’s combined with the keto diet, it can be an incredibly powerful tool.
Fasting on the keto diet puts your body in an alternative metabolic state which can cause weight loss to occur more quickly and efficiently.
During a fast, glycogen levels tend to drop significantly, forcing your body to depend primarily on fat reserves for energy rather than carbohydrates.
Plus, there are added health benefits like improved blood glucose levels and enhanced cellular repair processes.
It’s important to take breaks between fasting sessions when you’re following a keto diet.
This allows your body time to process changes while providing essential nutrients as needed from food sources.
Should You Do A 16 8 Intermittent Fasting Every Day?
The 16/8 intermittent fasting plan involves avoiding all food consumption during a 16-hour window and scheduling meals within an 8-hour window.
If you’re considering trying the 16/8 plan, it’s important to understand both the potential risks and rewards.
Studies show that following this type of diet can help with weight loss, improve heart health, reduce inflammation, and even boost cognitive function.
However, reducing your intake of food for such long periods could force your body into starvation mode and cause other long-term issues, such as messing with your hormone balance or nutrient deficiencies.
Depending on your fitness goals and lifestyle, intermittent fasting might be a beneficial scheme to try out.
However, it may not be suitable for everyone so you might want to consult your healthcare provider before committing to this kind of routine.
I’m Chris Watson & the Founder of EatForLonger.com. I’m a food and wellbeing enthusiast researching and sharing foodstuffs and simple food-based concepts, such as fasting and clean eating.
I hope it inspires you to make tiny changes to what you eat and when you eat while optimizing your healthspan and all-around well-being.
Read more About Me here.